(From my memoir, PregMANcy: A Dad, a Little Dude and a Due Date, on faith, fatherhood and family, due out April 1, 2012) Mattias: “Dad, I forgive you.” Me: “But I didn’t do anything wrong.” Mattias: “That’s okay. I forgive you anyway.” -Mattias, 5 years, 1 month Perhaps the biggest responsibility of a parent is to impart a world-view to your kids that reflects you values, so that once your kids are out making their own decisions, at least they... Read more
The “E Word” in Christianity is a funny thing. In one respect, Evangelicals are self-identified, and therefore, self-defined. On the other, popular culture (particularly media) lays its own meaning on what it means to be Evangelical. In the latter context, the word inevitably translates to “Conservative Christian.” But I think this definition isn’t fair. What’s more, it’s not accurate. I’m a self-proclaimed “word nerd,” so I tend to turn to etymology for help. The root meaning of “evangelical,” at least... Read more
Eric James Borges was teased his entire life for being different. Though he didn’t come out publicly until his sophomore year of college, he recalls emotional and physical abuse as far back as kindergarten for his differences. And though most children undergo some degree of hazing from time to time, the seeming indifference of the adults in his life made matters dramatically worse. In a video recorded for the “It Gets Better” Project, an LGBT advocacy group focused on offering... Read more
Following is one of the more interesting questions posed in Banned Questions About Jesus. This one verse from the Gospel of John is the subject of much controversy and, for some, no small amount of pain and confusion. So in the book, I asked several contributors to offer their thoughts, including Phil Snider, Chris Haw (“Jesus for President“), Peter J Walker and Amy Worley. In John, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one gets... Read more
Our son, Mattias, is eight years old. Everyone thinks their kid is special, and in a lot of ways, he’s just a regular kid. He loves fart jokes, enjoys riding his scooter and is obsessed with video games. But we’ve known he was different from a very early age. Mattias started reading almost as soon as he began to talk. By age four, he could name any musical pitch or chord structure by name that he heard. He memorized his... Read more
First, I owe an apology for mis-quoting Mars Hill’s Pastor Mark Driscoll in an earlier post when I said he had called women “inferior vessels.” In fact, he refers to them as “weaker vessels,’ and not inferior. The quote (or one of them at least) where this can be found is from a Bible study he posted online about 1 Peter 3:7, which says: Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as... Read more
I grew up in the Baptist Church as many of you already know. While there was a lot of positive that came from it – largely in direct relationship with other church members – there was always an undercurrent of fear and guilt that I found oppressive. Beyond that, I actually found the message often alienated me from the community and even from God. I’d come to worship, youth group or go to church camp feeling pretty good and excited... Read more
I’ve been writing this week about inspired vision and embracing radical change even in the face of the death of present systems. But the experience is different when applying the same principles to our own lives. The following is taken from my upcoming memoir, PregMANcy, due out in a few weeks. The setting is about four years ago, when my son, Mattias, decided his latest obsession would be death. ______________________________________________ I’ve noticed that Mattias has been more fearful in general... Read more
Today’s article is the third in a series I’m creating this week on inspired vision. On Monday, I wrote about how the nostalgia preached about in contemporary politics actually leans on a system of privilege. Yesterday, I explored a new model for education that could well mark a historic turning point in how we learn. Today, I’ve been thinking about why it’s important for an organization, be it religious or for-profit, to be more cannibalistic. In the late 19th century... Read more
Yesterday I wrote a piece about how nostalgia expressed in contemporary politics points to the privilege of those longing for the “good old days.” In doing so, I stumbled onto a theme I’ve decided to explore throughout the week. Namely, I’m interested in how it is that inspired vision – unconstrained by “what ifs” or fear of change – might break down barriers to opportunity and help overcome systemic privilege that holds some people back from realizing the same potential... Read more
Christian Piatt
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